In a potentially noteworthy development, men recently were spotted conducting environmental sampling on a key SoBro site that is for sale.

The Nashville Symphony Association owns the four-parcel site, which spans 0.75 acres and is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Korean Veterans Boulevard and Fourth Avenue South. The Omni Nashville Hotel is located across KVB from the land.

The NSA paid $1.05 million for the properties in February 2004.

The core drilling effort, according to sources who asked to go unnamed, suggest a prospective buyer has been found. The sources said a hotel is the logical choice for the site.

Unrelatedly, Nashville-based Pinnacle Hospitality Partners owns an adjacent site (located at the northwest corner of the T-intersection of Fourth and Peabody Street) and is hoping to develop a Holiday Inn.

Panattoni Development has been issued a $13.9 million permit to finish up its 95,000-square-foot office building, which will house the headquarters for performing-rights organization SESAC. The five-story building and adjoining parking garage at 35 Music Square East are being built by Alston Construction. An interesting tidbit from the latest permit: The crane on the site is limited to 137 feet in height and needs to be dismantled by Oct. 1.

The Mallory Park district that links Cool Springs' retail district with southern Brentwood continues to add uses. The latest project involves local hotel entrepreneur Chandler Kanal paying $1.3 million for a three-acre tract that has frontage on Interstate 65. There, he plans to build an 83-room Comfort Suites hotel. Jonathan Romeo at Brentwood Homepage has the details, including the developer's planned timeline for the project's next steps.

Metro officials have in recent days issued big and/or important building permits for projects in downtown, Germantown and near Music Row. Here's a quick rundown:

• D.F. Chase is taking the next step on the 27-story Westin Hotel that will rise next to the Korean Veterans Boulevard roundabout. The contractor has been issued a $3.5 million permit to handle foundation work for Westin at 807 Clark Place.

• Balfour Beatty Construction has been given the go-ahead to build the shell for the five-story Crescent Music Row apartment complex, which will have 275 units. The permit for the project at 1221 Division St. is worth $24.3 million.

• Price Development Group's plan to redevelop the Wang Formosa site in Germantown has received two demolition permits worth a combined $154,500. The demo and environmental abatement work will take place at 1305 Third Ave. N. and 1300 Fourth Ave. N.

Franklin contractor and preservationist Bill Powell is bringing to market the old fire hall building near the city's Five Points intersection. The 11,000-square-foot structure opens both to Main Street and Fair Street, is two doors down from Sweet CeCe's and will soon get a Jamba Juice store as its neighbor. Learn more about the project at this link.

Locally based Bristol Development has under contract a church property on Eastland Avenue in East Nashville and plans to renovate the structure to house about 15 condos while also building some cottage homes behind it. Getahn Ward at The Tennessean has details here.

Fledgling microbrewery Smith & Lentz is setting up shop on Main Street in East Nashville, reports Matt Rogers at Eater Nashville. Smith & Lentz had been working on a SoBro home but that building was destroyed by fire late last year.

SEE ALSO: News last week of Towery Properties' purchase of the SoBro site Smith & Lentz had targeted